


Donna’s understanding of The Doctor

by cronaisawriter



Series: Misc Analysis [4]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Best Friends, Character Study, Doctor Who meta, Gen, Meta, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-08 01:20:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17971772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cronaisawriter/pseuds/cronaisawriter
Summary: An analysis of the relationship between Donna Nobel and The Tenth Doctor.





	Donna’s understanding of The Doctor

****

Donna has one of the most unique understandings of The Doctor throughout the whole show. I also think she actually one of the deepest understanding of The Doctor of the companions. Jack Harkness, The Master and other Immortals or one of the flirty companions like Rose or River are generally pointed to as having the deepest understanding, but I do think Donna has some more layers than them and is also stand out for being as close as she is without being an alien-like Romana or a love interest.

First off she is unique especially within New Who as not being infatuated or enchanted by The Doctor right off the bat. Rose, Jack, Martha, River, and Clara are all flirty with The Doctor to start off with. Donna is not meaning their relationship doesn’t have a romantic or dashing man leading lady dynamics that have become common. This was a distinct breath of fresh air after romantic subtext and unrequited love were the dynamics being used. Along with this is she also doesn’t have the same kind of starry-eyed dynamic between Amy and The Doctor or even Yas. She is not under as many illusions and she is absolutely not romantically attracted.

But I think the key to why Donna feels like a standout is she doesn’t need a disillusionment moment. A common beat in new who is when the companion sees how dark The Doctor really is, how much they are broken and hurting. Rose in Dalek, Martha in Gridlock, Amy in Victory of the Daleks/The God Complex, Clara in Hide/Journey to The Center of The TARDIS, Bill in Thin Ice. But Donna starts there.

Donna first meets 10 in one of his most bitter mindstates, he’s showing how hated he is on the sleeve and it ends with him effectively committing genocide. She never sees him as a paragon, she does want the adventure and thinks he could be a good friend but he isn’t perfect in her eyes. Donna is choosing to travel with someone who is clearly dealing with some level of mental health issues and grief, yeah she thinks he’s special and can be a hero but not a paragon of any kind. This is in tandem with a lack of any crush makes her apart from much of the female companions.

It also varies from Romana or Jack who’s understanding comes from having similarly long lives. But like River and Amy, they are a lot less likely to understand the ground floor reasons The Doctor is like this. And the confrontational stance Rory and Mickey come from, she knows he’s dangerous but doesn’t have a reason to see him as a personal threat or becoming the third wheel.

Missy and The Doctor are generally too similar I think to have the same ability to show compassion and understanding the same way. Their both these whirlwind forces influencing the whole world. They are also both broken and warped from the involvement in war and trauma up to an including being used as a tool by their own people. Neither is really as self-reflective as they ought to be and can choose to not face any of it. The understanding between them varies, but while it is one of the other most unique dynamics of the world but is not the same as Donna’s.

But we really get to see how Donna did get a better understanding of him when they are in stressful situations later. She does make comments that are common like “don’t travel alone” that’s common for companions to tell him, but it does so much deeper than that. She handles his anxiety better than a lot of the others, In Partners In Crime she is the one who should be way more out of her depth but is calm and keeps 10 from freaking out when trying to fix the station. Another standout example is in Fires Of Pompeii, the way she talks him through and helps when he has to repay his own trauma by setting off mount Vesuvius. She is understanding and helps him with it. She does push him to be better and save a few of the other people but it shows a consistent understanding.

I’m not saying the other companions don’t try and be supportive and do push back but her ability to connected is stronger. We tend to see either a companion ditching and fixing whatever is wrong themselves or kind of shout The Doctor Down. they don’t usually try to understand and use the traumatic events as almost a gotcha over a specific understanding.  While they can be intuitive and true it’s usually used as almost manipulative or trying the shock them into action over talking it calmly. Martha telling him he deserves something to live for, Like Clara yelling about twelve “blood survivors guilt” or River telling 10 to not get emotional after losing Donna. It is coming from a place of compassion and love but lacks a deeper understanding or another way of working with him to keep meltdowns at bay. Even after clearly seeing how it is born from a specific event like Victor of the Daleks or Daleks in Manhattan, it doesn’t seem to be part of why they know The Doctor can act out.

One of my favourite moments between them in any part is when The Doctor and Donna are trying to save the earth in the season four finales. She is able to push him along to ward off disappearing emotions. And then actually takes his hand when they see Davros. She doesn’t jump right to fighting but actually reminds 10 that (to her understanding) they are safe in the TARDIS and that Davros isn’t with them. Donna sees the kind of impending breakdown 10 is on, his body language, face and voice all telegraph the pain and she goes straight to calming it down. Even jumping over the “who is this dude” question most other companions do in places like this.

Donna doesn’t build up the ego of The Doctor to say nothing is wrong or just berate Him. Obviously, I do think people Like Rory have a point that The Doctor does hurt people, and he’s a good ego check but it doesn’t show as much internal insight to The Doctor. She is equal and does call his shit when necessary.

Honestly, Donna has one of the most beautiful and honest relationships The Doctor has. And it’s is always beautiful to see them together.

**Author's Note:**

> You can send a request for an analysis like this or one of the others in this series!


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